Location E1/2 SW1/4 Sec. 12, T. 11N., The Mayville Open Pit Mine is located a half a mile north of the Iron Ridge Mine, and one third of a mile south of the Mayville White Limestone Quarry along the Niagara Escarpment. This was the first mine in the Iron Ridge/Neda Iron District and was open to industrial mining in 1849. Mining continued at the pit until high grade ores started to peter out. By then the Northwestern Iron Company that owned the mine at the started obtaining better ores at the Mayville Shaft Mine, and the mine closed down in 1913. Over time, water started accumulating in the pit, and eventually, the waterlogged pit became known to the locals as Crusher Pond. Unfortunately collecting at the mine site is not possible because of the pond.
To learn more about the iron mining history in Dodge County, read When Iron was King in Dodge County by George G. Frederick.
Mineral List: |
Allophane  | | | | Habit: | Massive, Forming bands in matrix of hematite, often between and around the shale underbedding. | | Colour: | Colorless | | Fluorescence: | Unknown | | Reference: | [Minerology of Wisconsin by William S. Cordua and When Iron was King in Dodge County by George G. Frederick] |
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Calcite | | | | Habit: | Mostly massive deformed crystals in nodles with Hematite and Goethite Rhombic Crystals are rare. | | Colour: | Colorless to Milkey Grey | | Fluorescence: | None | | Reference: | [Minerology of Wisconsin by William S. Cordua and When Iron was King in Dodge County by George G. Frederick] |
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Dolomite | | | | Habit: | Scare, often forming as an accessory mineral with Hematite and Geothite. Exact crystals unknown. | | Colour: | Colorless to druzy grey. | | Fluorescence: | None | | Reference: | [Minerology of Wisconsin by William S. Cordua and When Iron was King in Dodge County by George G. Frederick] |
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Goethite | | | | Habit: | Almost always found in Oolitic form, sometimes massive. | | Colour: | Rusty black to bronze color. | | Fluorescence: | None | | Reference: | [Minerology of Wisconsin by William S. Cordua and When Iron was King in Dodge County by George G. Frederick] |
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Hematite | | | | Habit: | Oolitic formations are, by far the most common, scarcely found massive. Earthy, lacks luster. | | Colour: | Rusty brown | | Fluorescence: | None | | Reference: | [Minerology of Wisconsin by William S. Cordua and When Iron was King in Dodge County by George G. Frederick] |
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Siderite | | | | Habit: | Forming short thin spear shaped crystals. Not very well formed though. | | Colour: | Jet Black. | | Fluorescence: | None | | Reference: | [Minerology of Wisconsin by William S. Cordua and When Iron was King in Dodge County by George G. Frederick] |
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6 entries listed. 6 valid minerals.
The above list contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database!
